GODSMACK and CHEVELLE bring the rock to the Family Reunion

CONCERT REVIEW :: GODSMACK, CHEVELLE, WAGE WAR, NOTHING MORE
Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul
9/26/24
Photos by Brett Zisler
Review by Nick

A stacked lineup of fantastic live hard rock bands hit the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul for what seems like the first rock show there in close to a year. GODSMACK kicked off the last leg of their U.S. tour for the year with much excitement from the crowd. Lots of Godsmack shirts from various years were seen on fans around the concourse which fit perfectly in to the theme of GODSMACK’s show. Starting off with a video showing the beginnings of Godsmack in 1995 and then fast forward to a live video feed of Godsmack in their dressing room back stage walking to the stage. The video footage got the crowd riled up as they took the stage riffing on an instrumental portion of “Surrender” before launching in to the song to set the tone for the evening.

GODSMACK continued to use a mix of live video and music videos from throughout the years as they traveled backwords thru their catalog playing a track or two from each album during the main set. GODSMACK have created a solid catalog in the last 30 years and the band sounded and looked in peak form. Sully Erna, Tony Rombola, Robbie Merrill and Shannon Larkin all looked excited to be back on stage and happy to be playing these songs for everyone. “When Legends Rise” into “1000hp” were crowd sing-alongs that amped up fans of all ages. “Straight Out of Line” snuck in to the set to surprise many long time fans and it was great to hear that song live again. An always stellar “Keep Away” had visuals re-creating and updating the iconic album cover from the debut album before launching in to crowd favorites “Voodoo” and “Whatever” from the same album.

GODSMACK themselves gave 100% on stage with a fantastic set chronicling their (soon to be) 30 year career but it was extremely weird seeing GODSMACK in an arena headlining with no pyro. All the spots where you knew there was going to be something, there was nothing. We needed at least a little fire especially during “1000hp”. I’m sure it came down to a technical problem and they just had to go give it all they got giving MN a unique show. Your still going to a GODSMACK show and leaving having a great time.

CHEVELLE brought it for their 9 song, 45 min set that also went thru their expansive catalog bringing that Family Reunion vibe of the night as GODSMACK and CHEVELLE have performed on the same bills many times together. Chevelle also formed in 1995 but didn’t put out their first national record until 1999 and singer/guitarist Pete Loffler still has the same energy on stage that he did when they were out touring on Wonder What’s Next. CHEVELLE came out with “Young Wicked” before launching in to “Self Destructor” and from there we were off racing. CHEVELLE went back and played kind of a deep cut for long time fans with “Family System” before launching in to fan favorites from the same album “Send the Pain Below” and “The Red”. Everyone (band included) got a good laugh when GODSMACK’s curtain dropped as Pete goes “We got one more song!”, the curtain then dropped as CHEVELLE performed the phenomenal “Mars Simula” from their latest album NIRATIAS to close out their set.

WAGE WAR put their 30 min set to good use with little talk and lots of music giving the crowd a good sized helping of their new album Stigma starting off the show with “The Show’s About to Start” before throwing down with “Low” and “Stitch”. Vocalist Briton Bond sounded great as he made sure to use every inch of the large stage. It’s been fun watching WAGE WAR become a more confident band since coming out of the pandemic with the solid Manic album opening for everyone from Beartooth to Slipknot. NOTHING MORE brought the lights, WAGE WAR brought the air cannons to the party doing a great job setting them apart from the rest of the lineup. The whole band sounded super tight as “NAIL5” brought the heavy before the melodic #1 rock radio single “Mangetic” launching into a heavy “Manic” to close out their set.

NOTHING MORE also got a short 30 mins to do what they do best and that’s leaving it all out on the stage. Coming out swinging with 3 from their fantastic new record Carnal with “House on Sand” into “Angel Song” into “If It Doesn’t Hurt” before giving the crowd a breather as they were close to half way thru their set already. Vocalist Jonny Hawkins was running all over the stage as guitarist Mark Vollelunga, bassist Daniel Oliver and drummer Ben Anderson laid a super tight foundation. The crowd sang along with “Jenny” before they closed out their quick set with “This Is the Time (Ballast)” that ended with Jonny, Mark and Daniel performing the last part of the extended outro from the barricade. If there were people in the crowd that weren’t aware of NOTHING MORE yet, they definitely made their mark now.

All of the bands brought their A-game for tonight’s show to showcase the strength of each band’s material treating the crowd to a spectacular night out.

SEE MORE OF BRETT's PHOTOS of GODSMACK and CHEVELLE HERE!

SEE MORE OF BRETT's PHOTOS of WAGE WAR and NOTHING MORE HERE!

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 09/27/24

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 09/27/24

HOUR 1
UNDEROATH – “teeth” // teeth – single
VIA – “closets" // sanitize this
SEETHER – “illusion" // the surface seems so far
MADAM DRIVER - "through the trees" // negative ghostrider
DEADLANDS – “villain” // villain - single
THE LONELY ONES - "the bottom" // the bottom - single
CROBOT – “nothing" // obsidian
WEEKEND PICNIC - "running out of time" // running out of time - single
CLUTCH - "subtle hustle" // blast tyrant

POPPY – “new way out" // negative spaces
BULLETS AND BUTTERFLIES - "sleepless nights" // sleepless nights - single
PUSCIFER – “the underwhelming" // live At Arcosanti
PRIMUS – “my name is mud" // pork soda
A PERFECT CIRCLE – “weak and powerless (tilling my grave mix)" // underworld soundtrack
ANGRY WATERS - "invasive species" // hold the high ground
B ! - "dead" // degenerator

HOUR 2
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY – “the gallows” // the gallows – single
SOULKEEPER - "heavy glow" // holy design
HATEBREED – "never let it die" // supremacy
HARMS WAY – “human carrying capacity" // posthuman
TILL LINDEMANN – “du hast kein herz" // zunge
AFTER THE BURIAL - "nothing gold" // embrace the infinity ep
MASTODON & LAMB OF GOD - "floods of triton" // floods of triton - single

TRIVIUM – “like lights to flies" // ascendency
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE – “4 words (to choke upon)" // the poison
AUGUST BURNS RED – “exhumed” // exhumed – single
MANY EYES – “enough" // the light age
KUBLAI KHAN TX – “mud" // exhibition of prowess
DISEMBODIED - "anvil chandelier" // diablerie
BETTER LOVERS – “future myopia” // highly irresponsible
JESUS PIECE - "an offering to the night" // so unknown

MEGADETH brings the Thrash Attack to The Armory!

CONCERT REVIEW :: MEGADETH, MUDVAYNE
The Armory in Minneapolis, MN
9/24/24
Photos by Brett Zisler
Review by Nick

MEGADETH led a well curated package to The Armory in Minneapolis for a pretty packed Tuesday night show. MEGADETH brought along MUDVAYNE for their first MN show since they reformed and ALL THAT REMAINS who just recently released their first new music without their late guitarist Oli Herbert.

MEGADETH came out pulling no punches swinging with the guitar pyrotechnics from the moment the curtain dropped on “The Sick, The Dying and The Dead” right into “Dread and the Fugitive Mind” and then “Wake Up Dead”. The crowd ate up the back and forth shredding between Dave Mustaine and newer recruit Teemu Mantysaari as Megadeth’s sound was pristine from the moment they came out. The fantastic soundsystem at The Armory is one of the best reasons to go check out a show at The Armory but also that these bands can bring in a full arena size rock show in. Megadeth brought all the lights with them. When you think of the late 1980’s performance music videos and you see all the lights they had overhead on stage, that is exactly what Megadeth brought with them. Enough lighting to power a small town! Which really brought a fun energy to the show as there was no video screens, just a massive backdrop with Vic Rattlehead staring intently down at the crowd and all these lights.

This was easily the best sounding show I’ve seen from MEGADETH in quite a while. While they sounded great at The Armory back in 2021 with Lamb of God, this was a more focused, tightly knit masterclass for the fans. Bassist James LoMenzo was firing off all the classic bass lines with great ease. Drummer Dirk Verbeuren holding court behind the drums with great force on a massive riser behind a drum kit that every drummer has ever wanted since first seeing those classic videos on MTV. And oh yes, those songs came out swinging too! The crowd singing along loudly with “Sweating Bullets,” “Peace Sells” and of course “Symphony of Destruction” into the closer “Holy Wars…The Punishment Due” going for a fantastic 1, 2, 3 punch to close the show just as they started with the guitar pyrotechnics 1, 2, 3 punch right out of the gate.

Unfortunately, traffic led us to miss ALL THAT REMAINS’ early set but we arrived just as MUDVAYNE kicked off their set with a blistering “Not Falling”. MUDVAYNE looked great with Chad and Ryan running all over the stage while Matt blasted on his pretty monstrous drum kit. Chad sounded great tackling the punishment of some pretty unforgiving vocal passages in their tight 10 song set including “Silenced,” “Internal Primates Forever” and the set closer “Dig.” MN was definitely happy to see MUDVAYNE back on stage as they had the pits going, crowd surfers and they even ran out of most of their merch early in the evening!

The Minneapolis stop is towards the end of the summer Destroy All Enemies run, this was Megadeth shining at it’s brightest while once again bringing a solid package with them to entertain the packed Armory for a bring the whole family fun filled evening of metal proportions that only Dave Mustaine and Megadeth have been known to do for years now!

SEE MORE OF BRETT's PHOTOS OF MEGADETH HERE!

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 09/20/24

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 09/20/24

HOUR 1
VENDED - "paint the skin" // vended
SLIPKNOT - "(sic)" // slipknot
HATEBREED - "last breath" // satisfaction is the death of desire
GWAR - "sick of you" // scumdogs of the universe
POISON THE WELL - "botchla" // tear from the red
CANDY feat JUSTICE TRIPP - "you will never get me" // it's inside you
FLOGGING MOLLY - "what's left of the flag" // drunken lullabies
JUDAS PRIEST - "the serpent and the king" // invincible shield
SABATON - "race to the sea" // the war to end all wars

MEGADETH - "angry again" // greatest hits...back to the start
MUDVAYNE - "silenced" // the end of all things to come
ALL THAT REMAINS - "divine" // divine - single
TESTAMENT - "more than meets the eye" // the formation of damnation
GODSMACK - "surrender" // lighting up the sky
CHEVELLE - "the clincher" // this type of thinking (could do us in)
WAGE WAR - "self sacrifice" // stigma
NOTHING MORE feat ERIC V - "house on sand" // carnal

HOUR 2
SEETHER - "lost all control" // the surface seems so far
KUBLAI KHAN TX - "mud" // exhibition of prowess
TURNSTILE - "T.L.C. (turnstile love connection)" // glow on
FUTURE PALACE - "ray of light" // distortion
POLARIS - "with reguards" // fatalism
DREAMS ASIDE - "the distance" // the distance - single
GORE. - "babylon" // babylon - single
ODDS OF AN AFTERTHOUGHT - "where dreams go to die" // where dreams go to die

BLEEDING THROUGH - "dead, but so alive" // dead, but so alive - single
JINJER - "rogue" // rogue - single
156/SILENCE - "character development" // people watching
REFLECTIONS - "deva" // deva - single
BY THE THOUSANDS - "the flood" // the descent
REAPING ASMODEIA - "dreamcaster" // darkened infinity
ENTHEOS - "a thousand days" // an end to everything ep

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 09/13/24

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST  ::  09/13/24

HOUR 1
CROBOT - "nothing" // obsidian
SEETHER - "illusion" // the surface seems so far
SKILLET - "unpopular" // revolution
DIVIDE THE FALL - "death of me" // death of me - single
MADAM DRIVER - "crossroads" // negative ghostrider
GODSMACK - "soul on fire" // lighting up the sky
CHEVELLE - "mars simula" // niratias

WAGE WAR - "magnetic" // stigma
NOTHING MORE - "if it doesn't hurt" // carnal
ARROWS AT DAWN - "save love" // save love - single
ANGRY WATERS - "dead flowers" // the tequila incidents
BULLETS AND BUTTERFLIES - "sleepless nights" // sleepless nights - single
CLUTCH - "cypress grove" // blast tyrant
HOUSE OF PROTECTION - "it's supposed to hurt" // galore
MASTODON & LAMB OF GOD - "floods of triton" // floods of triton - single

HOUR 2
JINJER – “rogue”  //  rogue – single 
ODDS OF AN AFTERTHOUGHT – “where dreams go to die" // where dreams go to die - single
KORN - "start the healing" // reqiuem
SPIRITBOX – “soft spine”  //  soft spine - single
GOJIRA, Marina Viotti & Victor Le Masne – "mea culpa (ah! ca ira!)"  //  mea culpa (ah! ca ira!) - single
NORMA JEAN – “blueprints for future homes" // redeemer
GEL – “persona" // persona ep
SEPULTURA – “roots bloody roots" // roots

AUGUST BURNS RED – “exhumed”  //  exhumed – single 
NEKROGOBLIKON – “bodom beach party”  //  bodom beach party - single
156/SILENCE – “product placement”  //  people watching
VENDED – “the far side" // vended
DYING WISH – “watch my promise die" // symptoms of survival
KNOCKED LOOSE feat POPPY - "suffocate" // you won't go before you're supposed to
OPETH – “paragraph 3”  //  the last will and testament
VEIN.FM - "rebirth protocol" // errorzone

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 09/06/24

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 09/06/24
GUESTS :: RAD OWL

HOUR 1
LINKIN PARK - "the emptiness machine" // from zero
DEAD SARA - "monumental holiday" // dead sara
WEEKEND PICNIC - "running out of time" // running out of time - single
CHRISSY CONSTANZA - "if looks could kill" // if looks could kill - single
MADAM DRIVER - "through the trees" // negative ghostrider
VIA - "the reincarnate" // the day of purification

RAD OWL - "always eyes" // rage gracefully
THE BURN VAULT - "even rock stars die too" // ignite
RAD OWL - "quiet while you're ahead" // rage gracefully
ULTIMATE FAKEBOOK - "tell me what you want" // this will be laughing week
RAD OWL - "every second" // rage gracefully
TORCHE - "walk it off" // harmonicraft

HOUR 2
SPIRITBOX - "soft spine" // soft spine - single
GORE. - "babylon" // babylon - single
JINJER - "someone's daughter" // someone's daughter - single
DEADLANDS - "villian" // villian - single
MANY EYES - "enough" // the light age
BETTER LOVERS - "future myopia" // highly irresponsible
GEL - "martyr" // persona ep
JOHNNY BOOTH - "crowd control" // crowd control - single

OPETH - "paragraph 3" // the last will and testament
ONLY TIME - "the pull" // compassion fatigue
FUTURE PALACE - "rays of light" // distortion
AFTER THE BURIAL - "nothing gold" // embrace the infinity
BY THE THOUSANDS - "the flood" // the decent
REAPING ASMODEIA - "false awakening" // darkened infinity
ENTHEOS - "a thousand years" // an end to everything ep

**SPECIAL THANKS to JEREMY from RAD OWL for zooming in to the Midwest Beatdown this week to talk about their excellent new record "Rage Gracefully" out now on Sell the Heart Records!

Midwest Beatdown · Rad Owl 2024 interview

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 08/30/24

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST  ::  08/30/24

HOUR 1
WEEKEND PICNIC - "running out of time" // running out of time - single
RAD OWL – “always eyes" // rage gracefully
THE BURN VAULT - "Johnny Thunders come lately" // ignite
LOST ISLAND SOCIETY - "living the meme" // living the meme
WEEZER – “surf wax america" // weezer
TOO LATE BUT STILL - "live more tilapia" // rewrite the story
EXACTLYNO - "red line city" // red line city
MADAM DRIVER - "crossroads" // negative ghostrider

HOT WATER MUSIC - "side of the road" // vows
JOHNNYROOK - "if you're dying, I'm dying" // if you're dying, I'm dying - single
ANGRY WATERS - "dead flowers" // the tequila incidents
CROBOT - "obsidian" // obsidian
THE ODDFATHERS - "another tear goes dry" // part II
THE PRETTY RECKLESS - "death by rock and roll" // death by rock and roll
TURNSTILE - "big smile" // time and space

HOUR 2
DEADLANDS - "villian" // villian - single
GORE. - "babylon" // babylon - single
FUTURE PALACE - "dreamstate" // distortion
GABRIEL AND THE APOCALYPSE - "get dragged" // get dragged - single
UNLEASH THE ARCHERS – “buried in code" // phantoma
PLAGUE OF STARS - "corporatocracy" // corporatocracy - single
DESTROPHY – “welcome home”  //  welcome home - single
DEVIN TOWNSEND feat JAMEY JASTA – “powernerd”  //  powernerd

BETTER LOVERS - "future myopia" // highly irresponsible
MAKE THEM SUFFER - "oscillator" // make them suffer
BETTER BROKEN - "queensbury" // tundra ep
LAMB OF GOD – “hourglass" // ashes of the wake (20th anniversary edition)
COAL CHAMBER – “headstones and the walking dead" // giving the devil his due
FOREIGN HANDS - "god under fingernails" // what's left unsaid
156/SILENCE - "product placement" // people watching
GOJIRA, Marina Viotti & Victor Le Masne - "Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)" // Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!) - single